Shade supporting structure



June 12, 1934. W, w, MOREY 1,962,403

SHADE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Filed March 13, 1933 2 Sheets-Shes?,l 2

Snom/boa, WWlfoey Patented June 12, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 13,

Claims.

5 or less light and air above the shade, and which will lock the roller automatically in any of Vits adjusted positions.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which can be manufactured and installed at comparatively small cost.

It is also an object to provide a simplified and positively operated cord clamping or gripping means by which the shade roller and its support are adjusted up Yand down along the window. .j

It is also an object of the invention to lmprove generally the construction set forth in my prior Patent No. 1,862,385 issued June 7, 1932, and to effect a more positive and easy operation thereof.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a window showing the improved shade supporting structure in its applied position;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the structure shown in Fig. 1; e

Fig. 3 is a detail transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similar View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view taken on the line 5--5 of `357 Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the upper of the supporting bars used in connection with the present invention;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional View taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a similar View taken on the 4,5 10-10 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a detail vertical longitudinal sectional vieW taken through one end of the supporting bar illustrated in Fig. 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

the numeral 1 designates a window casing', at the upper end of which is mounted the usual brackets 2 and 3. Carried by these brackets is a supporting bar 4 which has its ends provided with attaching pins 5 and 6 received D within openings formed therefor in the bracket line 1933, Serial No. 660,444

members. The pin 5 is of the fiat variety found in connection with standard types of window shades, and is received within a similarly shaped opening formed in the bracket 2 to hold the bar in secure non-rotatable relationship with respect to the brackets. The supporting bar 4 is of tubular construction and formed of a pair of sections 7 and 8 telescopically adjustable with respect to one another to suit window casings of different Widths. The sections 7 and 8 are held in their adjusted positions by a screw and clamping nut connection 9 and 10, of which the screw is carried by the inner section 8 and extending upwardly through a longitudinal slot 11 formed inthe section 7 with the nut acting to clamp the upper walls oi the sections together.`

Suspended below the bar 4 as by cables 12 is a shade carrying bar 13 also consisting of a pair of telescoping sections 14 and 15 similar in shape to the sections of the bar 4 and held rigid with one another in a similar manner by the clamping connection 16. The ends of the sections 14 and 15 are provided with angular brackets 17 to which the shade 18 is attached for operation in the ordinary manner. Secured to the upper ends of the brackets 17 are the cables 12 which extend upwardly from the bar 13 and directed inwardly through the open ends of the bar 4. The cables 12 extend longitudinally through the bar and the ends thereof passed outwardly through an opening 19 formed in the front wall of a lock housing 20, arranged at one end of the supporting bar 4 and forming a part thereof. Rollers 21 are provided at the ends of the` bar 4 over Which the cables pass to minimize friction thereon. Rollers 22 and 1 23 are also provided within the housing 20 around which the cables are trained in their passage in and out of the housing. The cable portions passing between the rollers 22 and the roller 23 are arranged adjacent one another and lying substantially horizontally above the bottom wall 24 of the lock housing.

In order to lock the cables 12 so that the shade and the carrier therefor may be positively held at any adjusted elevation, there is provided Within the housing 20 a locking dog 25 which is pivoted as at 26 to the bottom wall 24 of the housing. The dog is so positioned that the cable engaging arm 27 thereof lies transversely across the cable portions so as to clamp the same rmly against the upper surface of the wall 24. As a precaution against possible slippage of the cables, the under surface of the arm 27 is grooved or channeled to form a pair of edges 28 which will bite into the cables to a greater degree than if the arm was smooth. Attached to the upper surface of the arm and extending longitudinally thereof is a wear plate or strip 29, preferably formed of spring steel and riveted to the outer end of the arm 27. Engaging the upper face of the plate is a cam, member 30 which is keyed or otherwise secured for rotation with a short shaft section 31, journaled for rotation within bearings formed with the housing 20. Attached to the outer end of the shaft 31 is a cable actuated lever 32 which extends downwardly from the shaft 31 and has its lower end provided with a ring or loop 33 through which the free ends of the cables 12 pass. The lever 32 may be of ornamental formation and of such width as to cover parts of the mechanism lying to the rear thereof from view.

It will be seen that upon actuation of the lever in an anti-clockwise direction, by the free ends of the cables 12, the cam member 30 will so engage the arm 27 of the locking dog that the latter will be forced into gripping engagement with the cables and thereby clampingly hold the same against the bottom wall 24 of the housing. Upon the actuation of the lever 32 in the opposite direction, the cam 30 will of course tend to disengage the arm 27 and permit the latter, due to its weighted portion 34 situated on the other side of the pivot 26, to raise the arm free from engagement with the cables and thereby release the same so that the shade and the carrier may be freely raised or lowered to any desired height.

, or undue friction.

To assure positive engagement between the cam and the cable clamping arm 27, a spring 35 is provided which has one of its ends anchored as at 36 to one of the end walls of the casing and its other end attached to an arm 37 secured to the inner end of the shaft 31. The spring is so arranged as to exert an upward lift upon the outer end of the arm 37 and thereby tend to rotate the cam in a clamping direction. The spring will also hold the lever in its unlocked position, however, in this case, the same will be moved to lie substantially horizontally and in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the arm 37 and therefore exert no force upon the arm other than to hold the stop 38 thereof in engagement with the partition wall 39 of the housing 20. The back part of the housing 20 may be formed removable so that access may be had to the spring receiving compartment and for effecting a more easy asembly of the various parts of the mechanism. To adjust the relative engagement between the cam member 30 and the cable clamping arm 27, the latter is provided with a set screw or the like 40 which has one end thereof engaging the under side of thewearing plate 29 so as to force the latter outwardly away from the arm. This adjustment is important in that should wear set up between the cam and the plate, the latter may thus be moved away from the arm to the required degree until the cam will again most effectively engage the same. The adjustment is also desirable when cables of various cross sections are used in that the proper clamping engagement of the arm may thus be maintained with the same minimum movement of the actuating lever.

The set screw 40 may be adjusted by a suitable tool (not shown) inserted through an opening 41 formed in the bottom wall 24 of the housing.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a window shade construction has been provided which permits the raising and lowering of the shade to any elevation for the purpose of admitting light and air to a room through either the upper or lower sash of the window and that the shade may be held in its various positions of adjustment without the use of guide rods or special brackets attached to the side of the window casing. The cable locking means are so constructed that the same may be put in clamping operation by a slight movement of the free ends of the cables and held positively by spring action to prevent any slippage of the cables relative to their point of fastening. The device has the advantage of being extremely simple in construction, involving only a few parts which may be readily assembled.

What is claimed is:

v1. In a window shade supporting structure having a hollow supporting bar non-rotatably attached in connection with a window casing, cables passing through said bar and extending downwardly from the ends thereof, a shade carrying bar suspended from said bar by said cables, and cable lockingrmeans carried by the upper of said bars and including a housing having a pivoted cable clamping dog arranged therein; a cam engaging said dog and attached to a shaft journaled for rotary movement in said housing, and a lever attached to the outer end of said shaft and actuated by the free ends of said cables.

2. In a window shade supporting structure having a hollow bar stationarily secured to a window casing, a shade carrying bar arranged below said rst-named bar, flexible means connecting the ends of said shade carrying bar and the ends of said first-named bar, said flexible means passing through the stationary bar and outwardly therefrom through an opening formed near one end of the bar, and means for locking said flexible means in connection with the upper of said bars including a pivoted clamping dog; a rotatably mounted cam member adapted to engage said dog to force the latterv into clamping engagement with said flexible means, a depending lever arranged exterior of the upper bar and connected for movement with said cam, and means formed with the lower end'of said lever for slidingly connecting the free ends of the flexible means therewith, whereby upon the sideward movement of said lever by said flexible means, said cam will be moved to positions engaging and disengaging said clamping dog.

3. In a window shade supporting structure having a supporting bar stationarily mounted in connection with the window casing, a shade carrier, arranged below said supporting bar, cables connecting the ends of said carrier and extending through said supporting bar, the free ends of said cable being arranged exteriorly of said supporting bar and disposed to one side of the structure for the convenient operation thereof, means for locking the cables at any point of adjustment for varying the elevation of said shade carrier, said means comprising a housing arranged at one end of the supporting bar, and a clamping dog pivoted within said housingI and extending transversely of the cables passing in and out therefrom; a rotatable cam engaging the upper surface of said clamping dog, an adjustable wearing plate between said cam and the operating surface of said dog, and a depending lever connected with said cam and having its lower end provided with a loop through which the free ends of the cables extend, whereby upon a sideward movement of said lever eiected by the actuation of said cables, said cam will be brought in and out of engagement with the wearing plate of said clamping dog.

4. In a window shade supporting structure having a hollow supporting bar non-rotatably attached in connection with a window casing, cables passing through said bar and extending downward from the ends thereof, a shade carrying bar suspended from said bar by said cable, and cable locking means carried by the upper of said bars and including a housing having a pivoted cable clamping dog arranged therein; a cam engaging said dog and attached to a shaft journaled for rotation within said housing, a lever attached to the outer end of said shaft and actuated by a sideward movement of the free ends of said cables, an arm attached to the inner end of said shaft, and a spring connected with said arm and acting to hold the cam in positive engagement with said clamping dog.

5. In a window shade supporting structure having a hollow supporting bar non-rotatably attached in connection with the window casing, cables passing through said bar and extending downwardly from the ends thereof, a shade carrying bar suspended from said bar by said cables, and cable locking means carried by the upper end of said bars and including a housing having a pivoted cable clamping dog arranged therein; a cam engaging said dog and attached to a shaft journaled for rotation within said housing, a lever attached to the outer end of said shaft and actuated by sideward movement of the free ends of said cables, an arm attached to the inner end of said shaft, and a spring connected with said arm and serving when said lever is swung in one direction, to hold the cam in positive engagement with said clamping dog and when swung in the other direction to hold the cam disengaged therefrom.

WORTHIE W. MOREY. 

